Tried & Tested: Low-Carb Keto to Plant-Based in Diabetes, with Drew Harrisberg
In a Nutshell: The Plant-Based Health Professionals UK PodcastShow Notes
In A Nutshell is back! We are delighted to bring you season seven of the podcast, starting with a truly inspiring guest, Drew Harrisberg, an exercise physiologist, sports scientist and diabetes educator who has lived with type one diabetes since the age of twenty-one. So who better to help us make sense of the science behind carbohydrates, and their place in a healthy diet? For people living with type one diabetes, carbohydrates can sometimes feel like the enemy. And with the explosion of low-carb and ketogenic diets, glucose monitoring and social-media advice around 'controlling' blood sugar, it's easy to come away with the impression that the fewer carbohydrates you eat, the healthier you are. But is that really the case? Drew has taken a fascinating personal journey through different approaches to nutrition, including paleo, keto and ultimately a whole-food, plant-based diet. He shares what he learned from each approach, how his diet affected his blood glucose and insulin requirements, and why he ultimately moved away from keto towards plant-based eating. But this conversation isn't simply about diabetes - it's about our relationship with carbohydrates more broadly. We explore why carbohydrates aren't inherently unhealthy, why a rise in blood glucose after eating isn't necessarily something to fear, and whether the current obsession with flattening glucose curves is distracting us from the bigger picture of dietary quality.
To find out more about Drew:https://drewsdailydose.com/To get your tickets for The Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine Conference:https://nlmc.org.uk/To sign up to the online plant-based nutrition course and the cancer course from The University of Winchester:https://www.winchester.ac.uk/study/short-courses/courses/Plant-based-Nutrition/https://www.winchester.ac.uk/study/Short-courses/Courses/Lifestyle-medicine-for-cancer-prevention-and-survivorship/Further reading: https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/low-carb-plant-based-diet-what-to-eat\
More from In a Nutshell: The Plant-Based Health Professionals UK Podcast
In this week's nugget we are talking about weight loss injections, otherwise known as GLP-1s. Should you find yourself using these medications as a weight loss aid, we can report that a plant-based diet will complement this decision perfectly. And if you won't take our word for it, there's also a guide from our friends at Proveg which sets out how you can be sure you are getting enough protein and fibre, and all the other important nutrients. https://proveg.org/glp-1-therapy/
In episode 4 of season 7, we’re joined by Dr. Christopher Gardner, Professor of Medicine and Director of Nutrition Studies at Stanford University.
This week's nugget is a whistlestop tour of all the work that Plant-Based Health Professionals UK do. As a member you are supporting our work and are part of a growing community of like-minded people working towards creating a healthier and more sustainable future. If you haven't yet, please do join the Plant-Based Health Professionals UK following the link below:
High blood pressure is one of the most important modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease and stroke. On this episode of In A Nutshell, we’re joined by Dr Emma Copsey, Consultant Cardiologist, to discuss what role nutrition and other non-pharmacological lifestyle approaches can play in preventing and managing hypertension. We discuss what causes high blood pressure and how factors including diet, physical activity, weight, sleep and stress can influence risk. Whether you’re a healthcare professional or simply interested in cardiovascular prevention and lifestyle medicine, this episode explores ways to broaden our approach to preventing and managing blood pressure for better health outcomes. Blood pressure monitors discussed:https://bihs.org.uk/blood_pressure_technology/find_a_professional_bp_monitor.aspxStudies discussed:https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1511939https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01028-6/abstracthttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40592949/https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/early/2026/05/04/bmjnph-2025-001449 https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/nut-consumption-and-the-risk-of-hypertension-a-systematic-review-and-dose-response-metaanalysis-of-prospective-studies/F598AFD9FD35B00A41A428C9D65F2C14 Previous nugget episode on whole grains:https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/no-grains-no-gains-the-whole-story-on-cutting/id1694154034?i=1000728175430 PBHP Resources:https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Hypertension-FS-240703.pdfhttps://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/plant-based-diets-for-the-prevention-and-treatment-of-cardiovascular-diseaseshttps://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/plant-power-soy-and-legumes-connected-to-lower-hypertension-risk To buy tickets for NLMC Live:https://nlmc.org.uk/nlmc-2026/nlmc26-live/ Marry me chickpeas!https://www.noracooks.com/marry-me-chickpeas/
In this week's nugget two of our PBHP members, LJ Smith and Amy Roach, reflect on the highs and lows of trekking up Kilimanjaro and Everest Base Camp, and importantly, on how to optimise your enjoyment with plant-based fuelling. If you'd like to support our work and be part of a growing community of like-minded people working towards creating a healthier and more sustainable future please join the Plant-Based Health Professionals UK following the link below: https://plantbasedhealthprofessionals.com/membership You don't have to be a health care professional to join, but by doing so you’re not only supporting our work, you'll be improving your own health; with membership starting from as little as £15 a year, join us now and be part of the change you want to see.